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Thursday 31 January 2019

PR Sewing Bee Round 2 ; Zippers

2019 Sewing Bee - Round 2: Sew a Garment with Zipper(s) being the primary focus.
I was initially overloaded with ideas of what I could do with zippers. I then checked my stash of zips and fabrics and couldn’t work out how to get any of them to be my vision. I went to my local fabric store which had some fabrics which appealed and a strip of zipper tape with no slider or stopper. I put these with my stash zips and used them for the garment.

I decided I wanted to use different types of zips on my garment, and use them both in functional and decorative ways.
The main body of the jacket is a black and red textured woven fabric. The sleeves are a jacquard knit which reminded me of zipper teeth, the cuffs and back yoke are from another jacquard knit which resembles the stopper at the end of a zipper. I’ve used a long zip for the main closure as well as a strip of zipper tape as piping to emphasize the seam lines on the jacket front. I’ve replaced the pockets on the pattern with zipped pockets of my own design.


Inside the jacket lining, I have included a hidden pocket with a zip which I’ve made large enough for a passport, cards, small wallet or keys etc. I thought this feature would be handy for travelling or being out and about without a handbag/purse.

The jacket is fully lined with a bagged lining.
I also made a detachable zipper flower with a pin on the back. It was really hard to stitch through all the layer of zipper tape with a hand needle and I ended up using pliers. It is probably too much when worn with this jacket, but it would be a fun piece on a plainer garment.



Functional Zippers - used opening zipper, 2 zipped pockets and a hidden pocket.
Decorative zippers - zipper tape used as piping in front seam and also for a flower brooch/pin
Fabric - some inspired by the teeth and stopper of zippers

Pattern Description:
McCall’s 7694: Misses’ jacket and vest: Loose-fitting, lined jacket and vest have front zipper, back yokes, back pleats, and length, sleeve, and pocket variations.
I decided to do the longer body with sleeves (a hybrid of the two views) as longer jackets tend to look more proportional on me. I also decided to use 3 different outer fabrics and 2 different lining fabrics so needed a little checklist of which pieces were to be cut from which fabrics.

Pattern Sizing:
6-22. I measured my bust/waist/hips and was closest to the size 22. However I then measured my high bust which was between 16 and 18, and looked at the finished measurements where the 18 seemed to give adequate ease in View B. As this pattern is described as loose fitting it seems to have quite a lot of ease included. I decided to cut a Size 18 with a few alterations.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes with the merging/adaptations I made.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Mostly yes, there are 8 pages of them including alterations. Because I used parts of two different views and some of my own additions I had to change things around a little.
I would have liked better markings for the bottom of the opening zipper (no marking on tissue but a measurement given in the instructions).

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I loved that the alterations are included in the instructions and on the tissue as this makes it easier to get a better fit. I also liked the two piece collar and modern vibe.

Fabric Used:
Black and red woven suiting fabric, and two red and black jacquard knits, red polyester lining for the body and red knit lining for the sleeves and yoke.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
High round back alteration
Full arm alteration
Merged two views to get the style I wanted.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
This was a challenging garment for me to sew but I would sew it again in a different fabric to change up the look.

Conclusion:
I sew a lot of simple projects and this was a stretch for me.
I made lots of pocket samples and had a previous front jacket I had to scrap due to pocket problems, thankfully the shop had more fabric and zips to try again.
I bought extra fabric on my second trip so am planning a whole capule around this jacket using these fabrics and plain black, plain red.

I'm really glad that I embraced this challenge. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to try new things with zips.

The results of this round are announced on 3rd Feb with the details for the next round being published on 4th Feb.

Kibbe - In terms of Kibbe Natural clothing, I have to admit I chose this pattern for the strong use of the asymetrical zipper not necessarily the silhouette, however as its loose fitting with an open neckline and fairly long I think its not too bad for a Natural.



Colouring - There are some reds and blacks in my Sophisticated palette which blend quite well with this jacket.
One of the nearly blacks is actually a Signature colour for me as my hair is mostly fairly dark still. To wear the reds I need to wear a red lipstick.

Silk print fabric which co-ordinates beautifully.

9 comments:

Marie said...

Beautiful jacket!

Pam said...

Well done!!

Cherie said...

Ruthie, your jacket is stunning! The combo of fabrics, zippers and details is so creative. It looks lovely on you as well! I think you have this round “sewn” up!

Dilliander said...

Love this on you Ruth! Great use of zips and mix of fabrics, such an interesting and stylish jacket.

Katrina Blanchalle said...

There are so many complex details, yet they all work together to create a very wearable garment! You really took on a colossal challenge with this one, and you succeeded in every way.

Geoknitter said...

This looks great! I hope you are staying warm in the snow - we are in Bristol again having our first school closure of the visit. sure is pretty outside, though!

Sharon said...

You really made this jacket work for you, the details for the pocket and the zips are perfect and it looks fabulous on you and the way you have styled it. I do love a red lipstick in winter!

Bunny said...

Beautiful jacket!

Unknown said...

Great jacket, and you look very chic! Very clever to add a travel pocket inside the lining.